7 February 2008

Launch of new directory for GPs

A Directory of Hospital Services for GPs has been published by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

Portadown GP Colin Mathews, who was involved in the project, says, “This directory and accompanying compact disk are a welcome resource and they will strengthen the link between primary and hospital care.

“The directory is easy to use and provides information on consultants’ clinics in Craigavon Area Hospital, South Tyrone Hospital, Lurgan Hospital and Banbridge Polyclinic. There is an A-Z of consultants with details of their specialty and telephone numbers; and detailed sections for each facility with details of the days of the clinic and contact details.”

Jim McCall, Director of Acute Services at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, adds, “The directory and CD have been funded by AstraZeneca and the Trust is grateful for their support.

“By using the directory, we hope that local GPs will have greater access to services at the three hospitals and polyclinic, and which in turn will lead to prompt patient referrals.”

The Trust’s Associate Medical Director for Primary Care, Dr Peter Beckett, also welcomes the new directory.

“This directory is the culmination of substantial work by staff at the Trust and I would like to thank them for making it easy to read and use,” said Dr Beckett.

“The Trust has had the foresight to produce the directory in two formats which means that GPs have a choice on how they wish to use the information. I

hope that GPs will install the directory from the disk onto their PCs which will make the information accessible from their desks. I look forward to the directory being developed with other outpatients’ clinics at hospitals and clinics across the Southern Trust area being added to the directory.”

GPs can obtain additional copies of the directory from the Communications Department at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.